What is Ayurveda? Developed in India thousands of years ago, Ayurveda is a known as the world’s oldest health care system. It is a holistic healing and medical tradition that provides preventative, acute and chronic health guidance and wisdom through food and lifestyle choices and changes. Ayurveda, in its purest sense, is a modality of practicing purification of spirit and unification of mind, body and soul - of becoming one. The word Ayurveda comes from two Sanskrit words. “Ayu” means “life “and “Veda” means “the knowledge of.” Therefore, Ayurveda literally means knowledge of life as a whole. Ayurveda looks at the whole person including the mind, body, senses and the soul; therefore healing through Ayurveda is considered a holistic healing practice. Health is based on the five elements: ether, air, fire, water and earth, just as in nature. The way that these elements combine within any given individual determines which “dosha” or primary “type” they are: Vatta dosha (ether and air), Pitta dosha (fire and water), and Kapha dosha (water and earth). Each dosha thrives and heals with specific food choices and ways of living and conversely becomes ill and out-of-balance when making poor food and living choices. Good health within Ayurveda occurs because it considers the uniqueness and individuality of every person. Healing is based on treatment protocols that address each person’s specific health challenges. Using lifestyle changes, specific dietary modifications, herbs, and cleansing practices, Ayurveda provides a powerful, effective health care system that honors each person’s uniqueness. You can learn more about Ayurveda by visiting the Ayurveda section on All Things Healing regularly. We welcome you and your comments. Visit us often!

In general winter has a bad reputation – flu season, cold weather, weakened immune system, dry skin, and on top of that the inevitable cold season weight gain. Sounds pretty horrible! But according to Ayurveda, winter is one of the best times to strengthen immune system and lose or maintain weight...

Editor's Note from Julie Cerrato: Sweet tooth? Sugar cravings? If you're trying to be healthy and curbing your desserts, Ayurveda has some nourishing, delicious alternatives for you! Vata dosha is prominent in the winter season and is balanced by warm, cooked and the nourishing "Sweet" or "Madura" taste (Rasa). Now, that's Natural sweet taste, not the sugary candy kind.

Editor's Note from Julie Cerrato: "Chakra" translates as "wheel" from Sanskrit and is known as a point of convergence where energy spins in rotation around the vertical axis of the subtle body located in the spine. There are 7 primary chakras, beginning with Muladhara chakra, the "root" chakra located about the base of the tailbone. This is considered the 1st energy center and that which grounds us in life. It is associated with the earth element and in Ayurveda, is responsible for our sense of stability and the foundation of our inner self. This video by Dr. Cravatta's discusses the importance of Muladhara chakra and how doshic imbalances affect our daily life.

Editor's Note from Julie Cerrato: If you'd like to delve deeper into the insight of how to treat a Vata self, this is the video for you! Ayurvedic practitioner and herbalist Khabir Southwick gives some excellent insight and practical tips on how to live with a Vata prakruti. He focuses on regularity, dinacharya (daily routine) and stabilizing actions. Enjoy!

Editor's Note from Julie Cerrato: If you'd like to delve deeper into the insight of how to treat a Pitta self, this is the video for you! Ayurvedic practitioner and herbalist Khabir Southwick gives some excellent insight and practical tips on how to live with a Pitta prakruti. He focuses on calm mind, soothing action, agni and digestion, mental and emotional stability and continual daily balancing. Enjoy!

Centella is called ‘mandukparni’ in Sanskrit which means webbed feet of a frog. It is also called so because like a frog it grows/stays in wet places. It’s called Brahmi in Ayurveda due to its intellect promoting actions on the brain and thus is one of the best examples of ‘doctrines of signature’ because its leaves look like cerebellum...

Editor’s Note from Sonica Krishan: In Ayurveda therapy, the natural herb of Brahmi is used effectively to cure ailments related to the dysfunctioning of the brain and also to revive and reinforce the efficient working of the brain commands. As a natural brain tonic, the Ayurveda herb of Brahmi comes to extensive usage to enhance intellect as well as memory power. Not only this, the herb of Brahmi is used by Ayurveda therapists in healing mind and brain related ailments like epilepsy and anxiety. Please read on the article to know more.

I have great respect for the wisdom of the Vedas, although life today differs vastly from that our planet 5,000 years ago. In India, there has always been a substantial population who has traditionally lived a “vegetarian lifestyle,” or what in modern times may be referred to as a “lacto-vegetarian diet” that includes milk products; most likely from a cow that was family-raised or obtained from a nearby supplier...

Editor's Note from Julie Cerrato: Holding true to either a Vegan or Ayurvedic lifestyle may sometimes prove difficult in our modern world of processed foods. Without our ability to trace our food back to its roots, challenges arise in maintaining a healthy and humane plant-based diet.

Both Ayurveda and modern medicine recognize a lack of physical exercise as one of the lifestyle factors that contributes to the development and progression of diabetes. Obesity increases the risk of developing diabetes and negatively effects blood sugar control in individuals who have diabetes. For these reasons, being active and maintaining a healthy body weight is important in the treatment and prevention of diabetes...

Editor's Note from Julie Cerrato: Diabetes and obesity is a growing global epidemic. Ayurveda offers an understanding of the progression of different types of diabetes according to doshic imbalances. The Chopra Center has recently provided some excellent articles on diabetes, our diet, herbs to treat diabetes and yogic exercises to increase metabolism and aid the rebalancing of our bodies. Please read our three part series on diabetes and see how Ayurveda can shed some light on this difficult, but often manageable disease. Read Part 1 and Part 2. Namaste.

Ayurveda identifies many herbs and spices that can be used to treat diabetes. We are beginning to identify some of the beneficial actions of these natural medicinals from a scientific perspective. There are currently over 1,200 species of plants that have known glucose-lowering effects. Here are a few...

Editor's Note from Julie Cerrato: Diabetes and obesity is a growing global epidemic. Ayurveda offers an understanding of the progression of different types of diabetes according to doshic imbalances. The Chopra Center has recently provided some excellent articles on diabetes, our diet, herbs to treat diabetes and yogic exercises to increase metabolism and aid the rebalancing of our bodies. Please read our three part series on diabetes and see how Ayurveda can shed some light on this difficult, but often manageable disease. Read Part 1. Namaste.

Udvartana is an invigorating procedure done with cleansing grains, dosha or constitution specific herbs and oils, used to scrub and exfoliate the skin. This herbal massage will stimulate the skin, leaving you with radiant, toned skin and cleansed skin...

Editor's Note from Julie Cerrato: The unique series of body treatments with herbal oils, pastes and scrubs is what makes Ayurveda one of the most powerful natural medicines known to date. According to Ayurvedic scholar Sushrata, Udvartana is one of a three-part treatment designed to detoxify, reduce fat, strengthen and tone the body. By appling dry herbs in a "scrub" form to the skin through massage, Udvartana stimulates blood and lymphatic stimulation, toxin elimination and absorption of herbal medicine. This outline of Udvartana by Ay practitioner Lisa Belisle describes the process and what to expect from a treatment. Note that Udvartana is often best suited for kapha types and should not typically be used by pittas or vatas because of skin sensitivity. A video by Lisa Belisle on Udartana is also posted in the Ayurveda section of ATH. Namaste

Editor's Note: According to the National Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Information Service (NEMDIS), approximately 4.6% of the U.S. population age 12 and older has hypothyroidism. With this astounding number, collaborative efforts of Eastern and Western medicine can provide a more thorough holistic health plan for individuals suffering from hypothyroidism. In Ayurveda, hypothyroidism is a function of excess kapha dosha accompanied by a dysregulation of vata and pitta doshas. It is characterized by low agni, dhatu ama and often presents like chronic fatigue syndrome. This excellent video by Alicia Diaz walks us through some of the symptoms and Ayurvedic treatments including pranayama for hypothryoidism. Namaste

Vata dosha is the principle of movement. As such, vata, which describes the functions of the air and ether (space) elements, governs all bodily movements...

Editor's Note from Julie Cerrato:As we are in the thick of Vata season, begin to pay closer attention to your body and take stock of potential signs of Vata disturbances. Digestively, constipation, bloating and abdominal distention are all indications that digestion has slowed most likely due to the change in environmental conditions. Numbness or tingling in areas of the body indicate that the wind element vayu is affecting the nervous system. Lastly, bouts of pain and insomnia are sure signs that Vata has increased significantly in the body and needs to be quelled. Ayurvedic practitioner Debby Andersen offers some great insight into how Vata can become imbalanced and some key signs for which to look out. Take some time this season to address them before Vata becomes too unruly. Namaste

Editor's Note from Julie Cerrato: Sinus pressure, congestion, mucous and colds are a result of tridoshic imbalances, but can be prevented with the Ayurvedic pancha karma of nasya. Beginning with Vata, dry, cold nasal passages stimulate the body to increase blood circulation via nasal vessels, thus bringing Pitta heat to the barren location. Soon after, Kapha fluids and mucous accompany Pitta to help lubricate the passages. However, this leaves the nose susceptible to viruses and bacteria for infection. Nasya uses herbal sesame oil to lubricate and medicate the nasal passages before the onset of dry, inflammed, mucous-filled cavities. This explicit video demonstrates the preventative nasya technique that provides tremendous relief for Kapha excess and helps prevent the progression of colds and infections. Namaste

Ayurveda originated in India long back in the pre-Vedic period. Rig-Veda and Atharva-veda (5000 years B.C.), the earliest documentation of ancient Indian knowledge, have references to health and diseases. Ayurvedic texts Rolex Replica like Charak Samhita and Sushruta Samhita were documented about 1000 years B.C.

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